Principal Mechanical Engineer (Water Sector)

COSTAIN GROUP
Manchester
3 weeks ago
Create job alert

Job Description


Costain is expanding its Mechanical Design & Engineering Services to meet the increased engineering and design workload in the water sector, specifically for AMP 8 projects. We are currently seeking a Principal Mechanical Engineer – Water to join our team and support multiple clients, including United Utilities, Severn Trent, Thames Water, Southern Water, Northumbrian Water, and Yorkshire Water.


The position will be based at our offices on Aviator Way, Manchester, with a flexible approach to home working to promote wellbeing. We encourage applications from candidates with experience in the water sector, as well as those from other industries, to foster interdisciplinary learning and enhance on-site delivery.


This role presents an excellent opportunity to establish or advance a career in a technically challenging and rewarding sector that plays a crucial role in supporting the UK's water infrastructure.


Responsibilities

  • Ensure compliance with Company & Client Policy with respect to water sector requirements.
  • Complete specific design tasks as delegated by the Project Discipline Engineer or Engineering Manager as appropriate.
  • Deliver work packs in a timely and cost-effective manner in line with Company & Client Codes and Standards. Mobilise task forces through the SQEP process and be familiar in the appropriate field of work.
  • Maintain Quality Assurance, auditable records, and technical files in line with CDM requirements.
  • Maintain smooth and efficient liaison with Other Associated Partners and disciplines as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience – Essential

  • Principal Mechanical Engineer – Water with specific UK knowledge and experience within the specialist field and discipline (SQEP'd – Suitably Qualified Experienced Person).
  • Capable of carrying out Lead Mechanical Engineers roles on a project or group of projects and may support the career development of fellow engineers.
  • Significant experience in the discipline or a closely related one.
  • Proficiency in the delivery of engineering design across a number of work categories.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience – Desirable

  • Water treatment
  • Waste water treatment
  • Biosolids/sludge treatment
  • Pumping systems
  • Chemical storage and dosing
  • Asset condition surveys and reports
  • Process Flow Diagrams
  • Plant Layout
  • Equipment Specifications and Datasheets
  • Pumping system calculations

Qualifications – Essential

  • Appropriate Degree, HNC, HND or equivalent in engineering or related discipline.

Qualifications – Desirable

  • Chartered Mechanical Engineer

About Us

Costain helps to improve people's lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK's energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK's leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.


Costain appreciate the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at application phase. We do share individual feedback following an interview. A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that disclose they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. For more details please go to the Disability Confident website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign


#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Principal Mechanical Engineer Building Services

Principal Mechanical Engineer

Principal Mechanical Engineer Building Services

Principal Mechanical Engineer, Nuclear, COR7349

Principal Mechanical Engineer

Principal Mechanical Engineer

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

How Many Edge Computing Tools Do You Need to Know to Get an Edge Computing Job?

If you’re trying to start or grow a career in edge computing, it can feel like you’re navigating a maze of tools, frameworks and platforms — Kubernetes, Docker, IoT frameworks, AWS Greengrass, Azure IoT Edge, OpenShift, TinyML toolkits, networking orchestration, real-time streaming frameworks, and on it goes. Scroll job boards and community forums and it’s easy to conclude that unless you master every buzzword imaginable, you’ll never get a job. Here’s the honest truth most edge computing hiring managers won’t necessarily say out loud: 👉 They don’t hire you because you know every edge computing tool — they hire you because you can solve real system problems using the tools you know. Tools matter, yes — but only when they support clear outcomes: reliable systems, performance at scale, secure edge deployments and real business value. So how many edge computing tools do you actually need to know to secure a job? For most edge computing roles, the answer is fewer than you think — and a lot clearer when sorted by fundamentals and roles. This guide shows you what matters, what doesn’t, and how to focus your time wisely so you come across as capable, confident and employable.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in Edge Computing Job Applications (UK Guide)

In today’s fast-evolving tech landscape, edge computing is one of the most sought-after fields — blending distributed systems, embedded systems, networking, cloud, IoT, data and real-time processing. But that also means hiring managers are highly selective. They scan applications fast and look for signals of relevance, impact, technical depth and real-world delivery long before they read every line. This guide demystifies what hiring managers in edge computing look for first in your application — so you can tailor your CV, portfolio and cover letter to jump out of the stack. Whether you’re targeting edge systems roles, embedded IoT edge jobs, edge-native data roles, edge platform engineering or edge-AI positions, this checklist will help you position your experience in a way hiring managers can trust immediately.

The Skills Gap in Edge Computing Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching

Edge computing is rapidly moving from niche concept to critical infrastructure. As organisations deploy connected devices, sensors, autonomous systems and real-time analytics, processing data closer to where it is generated has become essential. From smart cities and manufacturing to healthcare, transport, defence and telecommunications, edge computing underpins systems where latency, reliability and resilience matter. Demand for edge computing skills across the UK is rising steadily — yet employers consistently report difficulty finding candidates who are genuinely job-ready. Despite growing interest and academic coverage, universities are not fully preparing graduates for real edge computing jobs. This article explores the edge computing skills gap in depth: what universities teach well, what they consistently miss, why the gap exists, what employers actually want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build sustainable careers in edge computing.